CYIL vol. 16 (2025)

MARTIN SAMEK Systemic learning, feedback and informing policies

Beyond individual cases, one of the core missions of the ECC-Net is to contribute to EU-level policy through the aggregation and analysis of complaints. This may include the identification of recurring cross-border issues, the monitoring of particular economic sectors (e.g., online travel, e-commerce platforms), and the formulation of recommendations for legislative reform beyond a mere compilation of data based on statistics from filled columns and classification fields in the ticketing system of ECC-NET. AI systems can process large volumes of case data to detect patterns that may not be visible to human analysts. For instance, AI could identify a sudden increase in complaints against a specific trader or sector, prompting early intervention or alerts to regulators. Clustering algorithms may reveal emerging legal gaps or forms of trader behavior that systematically disadvantage consumers. Moreover, predictive analytics could be applied to forecast complaint volumes or the likelihood of successful mediation, thereby allowing better resource planning within ECCs. These models could help policy-makers assess the effectiveness of existing rules and anticipate the regulatory needs of future markets. 2. Czech Trade Inspection Authority ADR In the Czech Republic, consumers benefit from institutionalized government authority, when it comes to domestic disputes. As discussed in the preceding analysis of the ECC-NET, the AI holds promise for enhancing the handling of consumer disputes in environments facing growing complexity and caseload pressure. This section examines how similar technologies might be integrated into the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process administered by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (CTIA), based on its procedural rules and operational mandate. Although CTIA and ECC-Net differ institutionally—CTIA being a national authority with formal regulatory standing and competence for domestic disputes—the practical steps of intake, assessment, communication, and closure show strong functional convergence. As described in the internal rules of procedure, CTIA operates as the principal national ADR body for a broad range of consumer disputes in the Czech Republic, unless a specialized authority (such as the Financial Arbiter or Czech Telecommunication Office) holds competence over the subject matter. 12 Although CTIA operates within a domestic framework, the challenges it faces mirror those observed in ECC-NET: increasing caseloads, growing legal and technological complexity, and the need for efficient yet fair resolution of disputes. Moreover, many of CTIA’s procedural steps—particularly regarding intake, legal assessment, mediation, and closure—are functionally comparable to those of ECC-Net, thus making it possible to draw on a shared model for AI integration. Although ECC-Net and CTIA operate under different institutional mandates, both face similar strategic challenges. CTIA, however, benefits from a centralized national structure and operates primarily in a single language, which makes AI deployment more straightforward from a technical standpoint. Additionally, the mandatory procedural steps under the

12 See Art. 2 of Pravidla pro mimosoudní řešení spotřebitelských sporů (ADR). [online.] [quot. 2025-04-01] Available from: https://www.coi.cz/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Op_18_21_Pr_1_Pravidla_ADR.docx,

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